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Suit Week: Accents

By Playboy.com StaffAugust 25, 2012

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All hail the accent! Set off your suited look with vests, pocket squares and cufflinks.

We know as well as anyone else: suiting up can be intimidating. But think of it as a graduated process. Once you find the right fit, you can move on to the shoes to anchor your look and ties to fasten loose ends. Having mastered the broad strokes, you’ve earned the right to shift your focus to the minutiae; those finishing touches that make a well put together look really sing. The keystones of a good suit will draw female gaze from across the room, but it’s this attention paid to the fine details that really speaks to the man inside the suit. And that’ll keep those eyes on you up close and personal.

There are a number of ways to accent a sharp suit, but for starters, let’s talk vests, pocket squares and cufflinks.

Vests

With few exceptions, the three-piece suit is old hat, so leave it to those aged enough to have lived through its last hey-day. So where does the vest fit in? It may be tricky to pull off — subject to having a fairly lean build — but consider taking your suit off the beaten path by replacing your suit jacket with a well-tailored vest or waistcoat. The look reads referential to ‘60s style without aging you; on-it rather than outdated.

In the process of researching this article, more than one man referred to a pocket square, in confusion, as “that handkerchief thing.” Wrong. The pocket square is the accent to adopt, not only because it’s such a rare sight anywhere but fashion mags and style blogs, but also because it’s a versatile mode of style self-expression. With a few good pocket squares (think colors, patterns), you’re free to add texture to a plain suit, life to a dull suit, sharp edges to a soft suit. All the while, you’re refining your look in a cool and uncommon way. Avoid Googling different folds, however, unless you’re looking to lose at least an hour of your day.

Think no longer of the cufflink as something worn only on a rented suit that time you stood in your uncle’s wedding. No, the cufflink presents a uniquely masculine opportunity to flaunt a bit of bling without looking like a Mafioso.

Fact of the matter is most men don’t feel comfortable wearing jewelry, or flat out don’t think to. While cufflinks can be flashy (though we implore you to avoid jewels of any kind), they can be equally effective as an understated symbol of your personality. You’d be surprised what a woman can infer from a set of sterling silver skulls fastened to the cuff of a crisp white shirt.